Buckle up for an explosive Sunday night in the NFL, as the Arizona Cardinals (3-1) strive to immediately rebound from their first loss of the season when they go on the road to take on the struggling Detroit Lions (0-4), who have yet to win a game this year, at Ford Field. Who will come up with the much-need victory in this one? Read on below for a detailed breakdown of this NFC showdown.
And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 5 game previews: Bears vs. Chiefs, Colts vs. Texans and Bills vs. Titans. Enjoy.
[sc:Football ]Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
When: Sunday, October 11, 4:05 PM ET
Line: Arizona Cardinals (-3) at Detroit Lions (+3); total: 44.0 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Arizona Cardinals
After starting the season 3-0 for the second-consecutive time, the Arizona Cardinals were finally reminded of how it feels to be on the losing side. They fell short at home against their division rivals, St. Louis Rams, in their Sunday night matchup, 24-22. That was their fourth loss at University of Phoenix Stadium under the Bruce Arian era.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Cardinals, who led the NFL in scoring after the first three weeks, evidently struggled in delivering the goods at the red zone. They entered the game converting 12-of-13 red zone opportunities into touchdowns, but were limited to just field goals in four of their five trips.
Quarterback Carson Palmer could definitely to the physicality from their opponents, as he was clearly under constant duress the whole time. He finished the game 29-of-46 for 352 yards with a touchdown, an interception and had four sacks to his name.
Moreover, the Cards’ run defense was unable to pull through in the second half, allowing Todd Gurley to rush for 141 yards, including a 52-yard run in the fourth quarter that enabled the Rams’ to set up for the game-clinching touchdown and pull off the improbable upset.
But after this gut-wrenching setback, the Cards’ ought to keep moving forward and quickly shift all their focus to the upcoming week when they square off with Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
One of the main things that Arizona could take advantage off in this game would be the Lions’ mediocre secondary that gives up 9.2 yards per catch this season, the second-most in the league. Expect Palmer to look for his reliable wideouts in Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown more often.
Fitzgerald, who leads the team with 14.4 yards per catch through four games, grabbed 7-of-9 targets for 99 yards in Sunday night’s loss to St. Louis. Brown, meanwhile, has been making his presence felt in his previous two contests, hauling 10-of-15 targets for a total of 137 yards in that stretch.
The Cardinals have won seven of their last 10 meetings with the Lions. Also, they are 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in their previous 5 road games.
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Betting on the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have dug themselves a deeper hole after suffering their fourth-consecutive loss to Seattle Seahawks Monday night, 13-10. With this setback, they are now the only winless team in the league right now with a 0-4 record.
To be fair, the Lions fought valiantly in this one and actually almost won the game. But the Seahawks’ Kim Chancellor forced a fumble on WR Calvin Johnson at the 1-yard-line which ultimately allowed them to hang on to their lead and earn their second-straight win.
A 0-4 situation is not a very good place to be in for the Lions because no team has ever reached the playoffs after losing its first four games of the year. But nevertheless, they’re going to have to beat the odds and shock the world. They’re next game versus the Arizona Cardinals this weekend will be a crucial one.
That said, the onus is on QB Matthew Stafford needs to be a better playmaker. Stafford already has five picks into the season, which is just as much as the amount of touchdowns that he has thrown. Although, he did improve slightly during the loss to Seattle, completing 24 of his 35 passes for 203 yards and had no interceptions for the first time this season.
Also, their chances of success will heavily depend on how their defense—that surrenders 383.0 total yards per game—will react to a Cardinals’ team that is averaging 37 points per contest in their first four games, the fourth-highest in the NFL.
Detroit is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in its past 5 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cardinals (-3) bounce back with a 28-17 victory.
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